Boy and his bike reunited

LAKE ELSINORE -- It was like the youngster had been reunited
with an old friend.

Robbie Craig, 9, had his prized, brand-new off-road motorcycle
stolen more than a year ago, and Tuesday it was given back to him
by Lake Elsinore police Detective Mike Pino.

Touching just about every part and leaning down to check out all
the hidden nooks, Robbie closely examined the Yamaha and gave it a
thumbs up. "It has more scratches on it now, but otherwise it seems
good," Robbie said with a grin.

Robbie's dad, Scott Craig, said the recovered motorcycle
couldn't come at a better time for his son.

Robbie's mom has been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and, Scott
Craig says, "is now a vegetable."

"This will help Robbie get his mind off of all that," Craig
said.

Also, Robbie has attention deficit disorder and typically needs
medication, his father said. But, he adds, "When Robbie's riding
his motorcycle, he's much better" and doesn't need medication.
"It's a real outlet for him to be able to go to the track and
ride," he said.

The Craigs were living in Lake Elsinore when the motorcycle was
stolen and have since moved to Placentia in Orange County. However,
Craig said, they will now be moving back to Lake Elsinore and
Robbie will be able to ride more.

Scott Craig said the motorcycle cost about $4,800 when it was
new, which included $700 for a three-year drive-train warranty.
That warranty will come in handy now, he says, since he has no idea
what the bike may have been through the last year.

Robbie and his dad both said they never expected to see it again
once it mysteriously disappeared in November 1999.

Craig said he suspects it was taken by drug dealers and passed
on to others who continued to trade it for drugs.

The last few weeks, Craig said he spent about $200 trolling the
dark alleys of Lake Elsinore, paying people he found on the streets
for information. Nothing developed from those efforts, he said.

Then he got a call from Pino who said he had found the
motorcycle and he and Robbie could come pick it up.

"I really expected that it would have been parted out by now,"
Scott Craig said.

Pino said Tuesday that he really wanted to find the boy's stolen
motorcycle. "When it's a kid, especially when you have your own, it
hits home a little more," Pino said.

So the detective hit the streets and started talking to people
in the area, following leads and linking a chain of informants.

Pino ultimately got an address where the bike might be and that
was firmed up about a week ago by an anonymous phone call
confirming the same location. He went to the home, determined it
was the stolen bike, and recovered it for Robbie. Pino said he
doesn't believe those who had the bike last week knew it was
stolen.

No one has been arrested in connection with the theft, and the
investigation is ongoing, he added.

"I can't say enough about the Lake Elsinore Police Department,"
Craig said. "I know (Pino) went way out of his way to find this for
us."

For Pino, it is gratifying to know he helped Robbie. "It makes
you feel good to know you can help a victim of a crime. Especially
when it's a kid."